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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-23-11 Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Minutes Downtown Business Improvement District Board Meeting Minutes March 23, 2011 Attending: Mike Basile, Eric Bowman, Mike Grant, Dan Himsworth, Ileana Indreland, Steve Stinson, Buck Taylor, Cyndy Andrus, Chris Naumann Absent: None Special Presentation Tax Value of Downtown Development by Randy Carpenter of the Sonoran Institute Randy discussed the concept of evaluating tax revenue generation spatially...on a per acre basis. For instance the taxes paid per acre for the Baxter is $14 million while the Wal-Mart is comparatively $200,000 per acre. This analysis looks at the value of dense infill versus greenfield sprawl. Further developing downtown is smart growth. Joe Minicozzi will be presenting the detail of just this kind of analysis in Bozeman the week of April 25th. Public Comments None Disclosures None Minutes ACTION: Mike Basile motioned to approve minutes from January and February as presented Buck Taylor seconded the motion. All voted in favor. Financial Report Chris presented a few expenditures, mostly the anticipated expenses of the maintenance program. Chris said otherwise there was very little financial activity. Chris pointed out that the BID has $111,136 in cash between the checking account and Certificate of Deposits which represents a reserve almost totaling the annual assessment amount. The board recalled a report a year ago that projected the financials for the 10 year life of the BID comparing the anticipated expenditures versus the savings reserve. They requested that Chris update that report for their review. Program Director's Report None presented Executive Director's Report Maintenance Program Update The maintenance staff work 5 days a week. Staff makes the rounds 3 mornings during the work week and each weekend morning. Their primary duties include emptying trash receptacles, picking up garbage, banner installation, and graffiti removal. FY2010 Y-T-D FY2011 Y-T-D Trash Emptied 1532 1917 Graffiti Removed 192 76 Relocation of Downtown Partnership Office On Monday, March 21St the Partnership Management Committee unanimously approved relocating the Downtown Partnership Office to the third floor of the Baltimore Building at 222 East Main Street. The move will save the Partnership $6,700 annually in rent. The new office will comfortably accommodate us, our bookkeeper, MSU interns and includes a dedicated meeting space large enough to hold all of our board meetings. We will be partnering with Robyn Erlenbush and ERA Landmark to co-brand and enhance their current visitor's center at 8 East Main. We anticipate the move will take place in early April. Downtown Parking Study Update The Downtown Parking Study has been completed. The study is available to the public at http://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink8/ElectronicFile.aspx?docid=44317&&dbid=0 and will also be available soon at the downtown website. I have provided a copy of the executive summary as a concise overview of the study findings. Downtown Cable Agreement Steve Parks and Eric Sutherland, partners in Gallatin Building, have requested that the BID prepare and provide an agreement of indemnification absolving them of any liability relating to the cables and brackets attached to their building. I think this is a prudent move to formalize the existence of the cables and brackets that we should pursue with all of the property owners. I will find a standard indemnification agreement and prepare for the Gallatin Building owners to review. Discussion and Decision Items Relocation of Downtown Partnership Office As part of the Executive Director's Report, Chris explained the specifics of the office relocation approved by the Partnership Management Committee. The board discussed that the move would result in a more professional and productive office environment. The voiced their satisfaction with the agreement to partner with ERA Landmark to create an enhanced visitors center. Downtown Parking Study Summary Chris presented the board with a one-page summary of the Downtown Parking Study. He briefly highlighted the findings of the study in regards to parking inventory, usage and current demand. There was no discussion regarding the summary or study. Downtown Cable Agreement The board briefly discussed developing an indemnification agreement with property owners with cable anchors attached to their buildings. Ileana recommended asking the City Attorney if the COB has a similar document that could be modified for this purpose. Mike Basile suggested that all cable anchors be covered by such an indemnification. Rather than just the Christmas decorations anchors, the over-street banner system should be included. Plywood Windows at 201 East Main Street Chris provided the board with a formal request of the owner of 201 East Main Street that the plywood covered windows be replaced in a timely manner. The board discussed the fact that the explosion occurred over two years ago and all other broken windows had been replaced with in a year. Chris informed the board that a similar letter was being signed by the DBA and TIF boards. The board agreed and signed the letter. New or Old Business Dan Himsworth asked for an update regarding the various TIF bills being considered by the state legislature. Chris provided a brief verbal summary of the bills and their current status in the legislative process. He indicated that he had submitted written testimony regarding each bill and had been coordinating with the various other downtown TIF districts across the state. With no additional new or old business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned.